1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a feed chute, and, more particularly, to a deflector for an infeed chute for a bark hog.
2. Description of the Related Art
A major by product of wood processing in wood yards, chip mills and pulp mills is wood scraps and bark. One use of these scraps and bark is as fuel for wood-fired boilers. Bark and like scraps which are collected in particular, from log barkers are conventionally conveyed away from the main wood processing line and processed further as necessary to produce suitable fuel for wood fired boilers. Typically that further processing includes cutting the bark and scraps into small pieces. One such cutting processor is known as a bark hog. Exemplary bark hog includes three main sections: a drop feed opening to intake bark and scraps; a processor; and a bottom discharge. By way of example, the drop feed material opening can be on the order of 11/2'.times.2' to 11/2.times.4'. The bark hog processor may be a 2'.times.2' drum equipped with 24 21/8" chipping blades. The large drop feed material opening allows this machine a large processing capacity which advantageously can keep up with the parallel wood processing activities of the chip mill or the like.
The scraps and bark are typically conveyed to the vicinity of the bark hog with an infeed conveyor and fed into the bark hog via an infeed chute. Because of the relatively large material opening of the bark hog, the infeed chute must have an outlet of sufficient size to direct material along and across the length of the cutting drum of the hog. Furthermore, the infeed chute must have a mouth large enough to receive the material from an infeed conveyor. Because of the large inlet and outlet of the infeed chute, bark and scraps can be ejected, by the rotating blades of the hog, back up into and out of the infeed opening of the chute thus decreasing the efficiency of the hog and endangering the workers in the vicinity of the material feed-chute.